Dog the Bounty Hunter searching for ex-UFC fighter War Machine
The world's most famous bounty hunter is searching for former UFC and Bellator fighter War Machine, accused of savagely beating up his ex-girlfriend, adult-film actress Christy Mack.
Duane "Dog" Chapman, better known to the television viewing world as Dog the Bounty Hunter, first issued a public warning to War Machine (formerly Jon Koppenhaver) via Twitter on Monday, advising the fighter to turn himself in to authorities.
Seven arrest warrants have since been issued for War Machine, who cops say was involved in a three-person altercation early Friday morning at Mack's Las Vegas home. Mack, who dated War Machine but says they broke up in May, gave her account of the attack on Twitter and posted photos of her injuries. Mack said she suffered 18 broken bones around her eyes, a broken nose, missing teeth, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver.
Mack is offering $10,000 for information leading to War Machine's arrest. And while the fighter has taken to Twitter to defend himself, Dog has been tweeting his intentions to take the fugitive down.
Additionally, another reality TV star, Corey Harrison of "Pawn Stars," says he's adding $10,000 to the bounty.
Now, this may sound like a publicity stunt at the expense of a very serious criminal case, but Chapman says otherwise.
In an interview with MMA Mania about the case, Chapman reveals that he was contacted by friends of the victim who inquired about putting him on the case to find War Machine since police searches have come up short.
Chapman's family, which works in the bounty-hunting business with him, is closely connected to the MMA world. His son Leland, who regularly appears on his CMT reality show "Dog and Beth on the Hunt," has fought MMA and the family is based out of Hawaii, where they have interacted with many fighters and promoters.
Dog stated that the cameras from his reality show already are rolling as he begins his investigation into finding War Machine, and they've made contact with friends and family to track him down.
Whether this all seems surreal or not, Chapman actually is a very accomplished bounty hunter and has tracked down some very elusive fugitives over the years. Most notably, he went all the way to Mexico to track down Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor fortune who was convicted of multiple rape charges before fleeing the country.
Chapman captured him and in the process ended up in jail himself before eventually returning Luster to U.S. authorities so he could face the penalty for his crimes. Chapman seems pretty confident War Machine will too, and the manhunt may end up on TV for the entire world to see.